Chapter 362: Chapter 362

Entering the government office in the large village, Namgung Cheon and his party forced smiles at the sight of the county magistrate welcoming them warmly.

They wondered if Hong Won-chang’s power was really this strong, and even thought if it was okay to use power in this manner.

“Do not worry at all! I, this Jiang, intend to take responsibility for everything while you are here. Hahaha!”

“Haha, thank you indeed. As I have said repeatedly, you must not let anyone know that we have entered this place.”

“I have already checked the letter Lord Hong sent. He said you are performing an important mission on his orders? I will help you with all my heart, so please do not worry. Hahaha!”

Namgung Cheon frowned.

Did he say that for simply renting a single room? For some reason, he felt a dirty feeling as if he had become Hong Won-chang’s subordinate.

However, no matter how much he thought about it, there was no place as safe as the government office.

No matter how recklessly the Blood Heaven and the Hyeongmun Sect acted, they would not be bold enough to touch the government office, and as long as he knew they had the backing of the Prince Yeong’s Palace and Hong Won-chang’s power, the magistrate in front of him would also not do anything foolish.

“Then I will guide you to the annex.”

The magistrate guided them with a pleasant smile. Although the annex was not that large, it seemed sufficient for everyone to stay.

The downside was that it was somewhat shabby.

“By the way, the atmosphere seems turbulent, what happened?”

“Ah! Are you speaking of that? They say the Blood Heaven and the Hyeongmun Sect are looking for criminals lately. They have even put up a bounty and are stirring up the entire village, which is very troubling.”

At those words, Jang Sam-tae snorted in disbelief. Reacting to that sound, the magistrate turned back to look at Jang Sam-tae, but since he did not know the reason, he merely smiled.

“What is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“No, why to the magistrate…”

“It is funny. Taking money and pretending not to know.”

Flinch!

At Jang Sam-tae’s words, the magistrate flinched. He wanted to avoid showing any change in expression as much as possible, but his eyes clearly showed wonder at how he knew.

Zhuge Un and Zhuge Yeon watched this and smirked.

“H-Here it is. Well… I have some work, so I will take my leave…”

Dripping with cold sweat, the magistrate left the place as if fleeing.

Whether he did not want to hear any more talk or quickly left because disadvantageous topics arose, his fleeing figure looked quite amusing.

“It must be true…?”

Mae-hyang muttered with an amused expression.

This was because if Jang Sam-tae’s words were not true, he would not have reacted in that manner.

“Of course it is. To roam around freely in such a large town instead of a small place, they must bribe at least the magistrate.”

Zhuge Yeon shrugged her shoulders.

She did not know how much they paid, but it must be a significant amount. Otherwise, he would not pretend to be completely ignorant like this.

“There will definitely be surveillance on us.”

Ma Jang-gang glanced around and spoke.

Even with Hong Won-chang and Prince Yeong’s backing, humans are a species who do not know what they will do if it becomes disadvantageous to them.

Therefore, the magistrate would surely monitor this place and observe the situation.

“But we have run into a difficult situation. This feels as if we have entered deep into the roots of the Blood Heaven.”

Zhuge Un shook his head and spoke.

He had not thought that the Blood Heaven’s influence would grow this rapidly.

Until they saved monk Seonjin last time, it was no exaggeration to say it was still the territory of the orthodox path, but now this place was the territory of the Blood Heaven, and they could not escape their eyes.

It had become impossible to move carelessly.

“For now, please come inside.”

Zhuge Un called the others into the room, excluding Dan So-mi and Mae-hyang. Spreading out a map on a large table, he pointed to Mount Hyeongmun and spoke.

“This is the place where the figures of the Heavenly Dao Association are currently hiding. Of course, we cannot guess exactly where they are.”

“They did not even tell us the location? Damned bastards…”

“Since they sent it via carrier pigeon, they must have tried to avoid potential danger.”

Zhuge Un’s words were reasonable.

Carrier pigeons are fast and convenient, but the risk of danger was that high. It frequently happened that hunters killed the bird, or those who could be called enemies captured it.

Therefore, writing down the hiding place was no different from a foolish act.

However, Sa Do-hak was inwardly unwilling.

Mount Hyeongmun is vast.

Even more, since the Blood Heaven and many martial artists were targeting them, they might end up shedding blood while searching around that place.

If they knew it would be like that from the start.

“Let’s just kill them all.”

Sa Do-hak decided to think of the matter simply. The one who requested help was the Heavenly Dao Association, and although he was unwilling, since they had come this far, they had to accept the situation.

Also, if they could not avoid battles with the Blood Heaven and its affiliated martial artists in Hubei, it would be more comfortable to crush them from the start and go search at leisure.

“That is a good idea.”

Even Namgung Cheon nodded in agreement.

At that sight, the others looked at Namgung Cheon in surprise. This was because he spoke words so heavy that one could not imagine them coming from the Sword Emperor, all too lightly.

Even Sa Do-hak wore a strange expression.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

“This is a war. If we do not drive them out anyway, they will enter Hunan someday.”

It was an extremely natural statement.

The situation was that the Blood Heaven’s influence was rapidly growing.

At this rate, they would soon reach their hands out to Sichuan, and beyond that, to the Demonic Cult, or the entire Central Plains might fall into their grasp.

They had to prevent that at all costs.

Namgung Cheon held his sword and looked at Zhuge Un.

“What is your thought?”

“It is a bad move… but it is the easiest method. However, it is somewhat unreasonable to start things right away. The number of people is one thing, and do we not have So-mi with us?”

“…True.”

“First, finding them is the priority. And for this task…”

Zhuge Un looked at Jang Sam-tae, Gwon Mu-jin, and Ma Jang-gang and smiled.

“I think these three are the most suitable.”

* * *

“Uha… Uhahahahaha!”

“…….”

“…….”

A tiger hunted a wild boar right before their eyes. Cheon Mu-gwang, who was watching it quietly, stepped in and threatened the tiger.

The beast growled and exuded its momentum, but that was not something that would work against an immortal in the first place.

In that way, Cheon Mu-gwang ignored the beast leisurely and carried the wild boar on his shoulders. The tiger, robbed of its prey, tried to cry out as if somewhat wronged, but it was useless before a person on whom it had no effect at all.

Realizing all of those circumstances, Cheon Mu-gwang burst into laughter.

That appearance of laughing heartily like a lunatic was so absurd that one wondered if this man was indeed one of the Eight Immortals, making it an appearance one did not wish to see.

“…Did you really have to steal that?”

“Isn’t it more delicious than eating a tiger? Hahaha!”

Cheon Mu-gwang moved his hands swiftly and prepared the wild boar. His hand movements were so fast that he finished the preparation in less than fifteen minutes.

Soon, he built a fire and placed the wild boar over it.

No matter how one looked at it, he seemed fully intent on eating.

“We… have not eaten that long ago, though?”

“Aigoo, this girl knows nothing. For a person… to become strong, they must eat first. You have to stuff yourself first.”

He said those words as he looked at the wild boar roasting to a golden brown. Seeing his mouth watering so much, he really looked like a hungry person.

‘Just earlier… you ate a whole roe deer…’

Namgung So-hye could not bring herself to say those words.

Dan Woo-hyun and Namgung So-hye also had small appetites. Although the two did not eat much, it was Cheon Mu-gwang who ate that entire large roe deer leaving only bones, and now he was even catching and eating a wild boar, so she was simply at a loss for words on how to describe this astonishment.

Namgung So-hye let out a sigh.

“We did come to find a person, right?”

“Yes.”

Dan Woo-hyun nodded.

The original goal was Ryu Hwa-gun. However, since his traces did not appear, they were wandering here and there.

In a way, they could just think of it as sightseeing or resting, but she was becoming mentally and physically exhausted just by being with Cheon Mu-gwang.

“Say something…”

“…….”

Dan Woo-hyun slowly approached Cheon Mu-gwang.

Looking at the wild boar roasting to a golden brown, Cheon Mu-gwang’s excited expression caught his eye without fail. Since it was like seeing a child, he let out a dry laugh despite himself.

“Do you have a beggar in your stomach?”

“Huh?! Brother! Can you say that to me? Still, in the past, I set your entire dining table, Brother! If not for me, you would have starved to death!”

At that single statement, Namgung So-hye let out a chuckle.

That story was similar to what Jang Sam-tae had said to Dan Woo-hyun. Since Jang Sam-tae was the one in charge of all cooking in the Hunan Dan Family in the first place, it was no exaggeration to say he was feeding and keeping the Dan Family alive.

“You… do you have any intention of finding Ryu Hwa-gun?”

“Ah, of course I do. Indeed I do. But how can I find him when his presence is not felt?”

“…….”

Dan Woo-hyun’s gaze narrowed a bit further.

One could clearly feel that he was getting angry.

While she had an ominous feeling that trouble would break out at this rate, Cheon Mu-gwang was also staring intently at Dan Woo-hyun.

The gazes of the two clashed in the air.

“Stop the jokes here.”

“Jokes… how could I do such a thing?”

A sly smile flowed out.

He did not seem to ignore Dan Woo-hyun, but there was also no sign of him being cautious either.

‘Is this the relationship between the Martial God and the Three Heavens?’

Namgung So-hye was watching the situation, which made little sense. Last time-it must already be a story from more than two years ago. The things they saw in the secret cave of the Three Heavens discovered in Hunan.

The three beings who met death inside the cold cave while commemorating the Martial God.

Considering the passages they had written, there were many aspects of Cheon Mu-gwang’s current actions that were somewhat incomprehensible.

Was it because a thousand years had passed?

Do they not say that time even changes a person’s personality?

However, Cheon Mu-gwang himself did not seem to care in the slightest.

Simply smiling, he tapped the seat next to him and spoke to Dan Woo-hyun.

“You do not need to urge me like that. No matter where that fellow goes, he will eventually be caught.”

“Do you have a way?”

“No, I have no such thing… but in the end, aren’t they fellows playing in the palms of that Cheon Mu-je?”

“…….”

At the mention of the name Cheon Mu-je, Dan Woo-hyun’s eyebrows twitched.

Whether it was a name he did not wish to hear, to Namgung So-hye’s eyes, Dan Woo-hyun seemed to hate that name intensely.

She thought he might be the very person who sealed the Martial God.

“Do you not know that those who cannot think for themselves and only listen to others’ orders get stiff brains? So, his movements are also already drawn in my head.”

Cheon Mu-gwang tapped his head with his finger and expressed confidence. Catching the former Eight Immortals who were now driven out was the duty and top priority of the current Eight Immortals.

Because they could be called the greatest enemies.

In the end, although Cheon Mu-gwang was playing around, he was thinking through everything from one to ten.

Cheon Mu-gwang spoke to Dan Woo-hyun once more.

“For now, please be a bit relaxed. Since before long, we will be able to see that fellow’s face. Hahaha.”

At the confident statement, Dan Woo-hyun’s eyes narrowed.

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